The Blackpool Skirt is made by Styled by London. This designer runs a little small, so wearers may need to go up a size. For me, it sits more on the waist, rather than the hips. Kate, Owner of Sloane & Ivy, tries to curate pieces that are washer-friendly and this skirt is machine cold wash. How awesome is that!? Like n: Philanthropy, a portion of the proceeds from this top go to a good cause, the LA Children’s Hospital.

What I love about this skirt is all of the colors; it allows for the wearer to play around with all different types of tops and accessories. I love the white flowy off-the-shoulder top that the model is wearing in the picture. I went with the Medfield Tank in black, since the skirt featured enough colors and then threw on the Soho Jean Jacket for a more casual look and to add just a little bit of color. For accessories, I added a necklace from What’s Your Sign Baby by Alyson Adelman – Wells. Sloane and Ivy currently has a selection of pieces from the collection.

The boots are Diane von Furstenberg from many years ago. Here are some similar ones.

Be sure to check out Sloane and Ivy’s spring wardrobe! What pieces are you adding to your wardrobe for spring?

Recently, I paid a visit to the suburbs to visit Sloane & Ivy. I have heard such great things about this small boutique, that I had to check it out for myself! I grew up shopping the small boutiques of Wellesley, so I am always excited to check out a new establishment! While I was there, I got to try on some outfits and different looks. This jogger look was my favorite.

The top that I am wearing is EXCEPTIONALLY cozy. It is called The Needham Top and is linked here. I usually wear a small in tees, but the medium size allowed me to create a front knot look. I love little details that jazz up a basic tee shirt, such as the distressed look on the collar of this tee. I decided to forego a necklace because of these details. The top is made by n:Philanthropy, a great brand that boosts cozy basics and donates 10% of proceeds to pediatric cancer research and animal welfare charities.

As for the pants, they are my most recent obsession. They come in black, which I modeled, but also navy. Even better, they’re machine washable and anti-wrinkle! I paired my blue suede shoes (pun intended) with these joggers to dress up the look. It would look super cute with a clutch to finish off the outfit. Kate, owner and buyer of Sloane & Ivy also recommended a more dressed-down look with a pair of adidas.

If you’re looking to spice up your wardrobe, you should pay Kate a visit at Sloane & Ivy at 22 Church Street in Wellesley! Additionally, Kate offers The Ivy Box. Here is how it works: You fill out a quick survey for your stylist to fill out. Sloane & Ivy will pack you a box (free shipping) containing six clothing pieces and send it directly send to your house. You keep what you want, and if you like all six items, you will receive 10% off. In terms of sending back, a pre-paid label is provided. How easy it that?

Special thanks to Kate of Sloane & Ivy for allowing me to model her beautiful clothing! Also! TODAY ONLY! If you use code SUNNYDAY, you’ll receive 20% off orders of $150 or more, as well as a $50 gift card if you spend $500!

As I am writing this, I just learned that Phil saw his shadow. You know what that means. . . More sweater weather. Fashology and I had a lot of fun shooting with Femme Boutique Boston towards the end of last year and I have been itching to show you this “Pink Pleated” look for some time! The pink is perfect for Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day) this month. And the best part?! The back!! I just love the delicate, feminine details of the bow and the pleats. What’s awesome about this piece is that it’s lightweight, so it can easily transition into spring. It is now is marked down from $59 to $20! Femme Boutique Boston offers great prices on all types of pieces and their inventory is constantly changing. Spend $75 or more to take advantage of free shipping!

Zeisler is an incredibly inspirational and impressive figure who is the perfect person to lead an event in Vanessa’s honor. Zeisler is not only a self-defense/exercise instructor, author and speaker, but also a survivor. In her Ted X Talk, she discusses her own experience.

Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate! Perhaps you are taking a break from shopping or wrapping Christmas gifts. It can be a super busy time of year, but try to enjoy the holidays! Despite the craziness, I recently got to spend some time in Chatham earlier this month. While there, I got to wear this gorgeous Sail to Sable Keyhole Sleeveless Dress in Black from Shift Stores and check out the beautiful Christmas decorations at the Chatham Bars Inn. I absolutely love this dress! It fit like a glove and is perfect for the holiday season! You can check it out at the Shift Chatham location (open until January 3) or the Mashpee location (open year-round)! How will you be celebrating this holiday season?

*This gorgeous dress was provided by Shift Stores. All views and opinions are my own.

I absolutely love this cozy sweater and just look at the awesome details on the sleeves! Camel is a great basic color to have in your wardrobe. I also can NEVER turn down a good blanket scarf. I love the deep red and orange hues in this one! Happy Shopping!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner (ahhhh next week!). I look forward to going to my parents in the Cape, relaxing and catching up with family. My two favorite things about Thanksgiving are a) planning what I am going to wear and b) planning a stellar tablescape (got any good ideas?).

This first outfit that I modeled has FALL written all over it to me. Just look at the colors in this peplum blouse! I love the fun bell sleeves! Another thing I loved about this outfit were these leggings! They are super stretchy, comfortable and perfect for Thanksgiving. I love the moto vibe. I am a size 4 and wore a medium, due to my height. They also are in stock in burgundy and olive.

Recently, the two-year anniversary of my hip surgery passed. I have referred to my hip surgery in a few of my posts, but have failed to explain it in depth until now.

When I was a teenager, I went to a podiatrist who advised me to use inserts in my sneakers, due to over pronation in my feet. In my college years, I experienced pain in my right knee. I was told I had “runner’s knee” by a doctor (which is ironic, because I wasn’t a runner, largely due to the pain in my knee) and sent with a script for physical therapy. I fit in physical therapy whenever I could during my busy college schedule, and I finally felt like it was making a difference during my last semester.

Shortly after the Holidays and my unofficial graduation (I graduated mid-year), it was off to New York City for a dream fashion internship. One of the things that I love about New York is that is is such a walkable city. This is where I first noticed pain in my hip. I would notice it after climbing multiple flights of stairs (I always make myself take the stairs instead of the elevator) or walking many blocks in shoes other than my inserted sneakers and it really aggravated my hip.

I ignored the problem for a while, hoping that it would go away. But it just got worse. In 2014, I found myself in a chiropractor’s office. He instructed me to go get an x-ray done on my hip. Once he took a look at the x-rays, he told me I had hip dysplasia. Basically, my right hip never grew into its socket 100%; a condition that I was born with.

The chiropractor referred me to another doctor. He took a look at my x-rays, and prescribed physical therapy and injections. The physical therapy really didn’t help and the injections only relieved some of the pain for a few days. Given this was an anatomic structure issue, continuing with physical therapy wasn’t going to fix the pain. Thus, this doctor sent me to Dr. Millis at Children’s Hospital (yes, even though I am in my late twenties).

After looking at my x-rays, Dr. Millis said that surgery was basically my only option. I already had signs of arthritis starting in my hip. The surgery he was talking about was periacetabular osteotomy. Basically, they would cut into my pelvis, twist it, put screws in and wait for the bone to grow back. I am lucky to be a Bostonian; there are two surgeons here who do the surgery. Only about 6-12 doctors in the country perform this surgery.

Given my level of pain, I knew that I had to get this surgery; there wasn’t really a decision to be made. I scheduled the surgery for October 8, 2015. I was actually excited to get the surgery done, because I wanted relief from the pain. I would have to move home with my parents for the initial recovery.

My mom picked me up in the early early morning of October 8. It was a Thursday. I had to pack for the month that I would be staying with my parents. I remember getting some well wishes texts from friends before the surgery. Obviously, in pre-op, they gave me anesthesia. When I woke up, my parents were there. I just remember being incredibly thirsty when I woke up. I was then transported into a private room at the hospital; I got lucky. The room had all the TV shows I could ever want and even Playstation. The only time I was in pain while there Friday night; I remember almost crying from the sharp pain in my hip.

These were the screws that were in my pelvis and eventually removed.

I was supposed to be on crutches for about five months, but it ended up being twice that, as it took my body an abnormally long time to heal. Those ten months were extremely challenging and I was basically on my own for the last 9 months of it. I had some friends help me out here and there, but without my parents or a spouse, the littlest tasks were really difficult. I couldn’t grocery shop (thank God for Instacart), do laundry, clean my room, climb more than a few stairs, take public transportation and even getting together with friends was a challenge. Any physical activity was out of the question. Just going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I would have to grab my crutches. Making meals was a challenge; I would hop around, trying not to put any weight on my right leg. I didn’t realize how hard little things like this would be.

For a while, I was permitted to use one crutch; this put me in kind of a weird limbo. Yes, I was recovering, but not at the rate that I was hoping to. Things in my life felt very stagnant at this point; I felt like my life was on hold. Though I had friends help me here and there; it was really challenging having my parents two hours away. My mother did come up for all of my doctor appointments and come help me with a few times with grocery shopping and laundry.

Every appointment I had, I was desperately hopeful to be cleared off of my crutches. Those ten months of my life were extremely challenging, but I did get a few things out of it. I got some time off from work, spend time with my parents, (I stayed with them the first month after surgery), catch up on my TV shows (and discover some new ones) and most of all….Start “Busy as a Bee!” In terms what I got out of it mentally and emotionally, it taught me resilience and patience.

How is my hip now? I have days where it hurt, but it is significantly better than it was before the surgery. It doesn’t randomly click that it used to. I hurt my hamstring trying to get back into working out, and that hasn’t been the same since. In an ideal world, I would be going to physical therapy twice a week and trying to strengthen my core (hey, I’m trying!). Sadly, I probably won’t be able to do yoga as intensely as I used to. I won’t be able to be a runner (given the impact). But the alternative was arthiritis and constant pain. I have forever grateful to Dr. Millis for improving my quality of life.

I hope that summer 2017 treated you well! I personally wish that I took more time to savor it! Can you believe that I only went swimming twice this summer; both times in August? Looking forward, I want to slow down and take in the things that give me joy.

I saw a quote recently that we often complain about our problems, but don’t talk about our joys in life. I admit, I have been very much in that mindset lately, and I need to work on changing it. So much easier said than done when we don’t know what is going to happen or don’t know how to react to a situation, and anxiety kicks in.

But as my father always says, worrying isn’t going to do any good. So, as hard as it is, it is better to focus on other, positive things in life. I find that it always helps to have something to look forward to, so here are my Top Three things that I am looking forward to most this fall:

1) Apple picking: I haven’t been able to go the last two years (in 2015, I had my hip surgery in the fall), and can’t wait to go this year! The key is to go in September, I think, when there are still plenty of apples. Many people have told me they don’t understand apple picking, as one can just buy apples at the supermarket. But it is all about the experience; crisp fall weather, turning leaves, getting out of the city and of course some delicious treats!

2) Fall Fashion: Though I am on a budget right now, I can’t wait to transition my wardrobe! I love cozy blanket scarves and can’t wait to pick up an affordable one from ilymix.com (if you use the code “busyasabee” you will get 20% off your purchase! I also love me some cozy flannels, boots and sweaters!

3) Halloween and Thanksgiving: I have always been a Halloween person! I’m not particularly into scary movies, but I love the tradition of watching Hocus Pocus every year and doing some fun DIY crafts. Also, a visit to Salem is always fun around Halloween; I just love soaking in the history and I am fortunate to live so close to it! Thanksgiving is another great holiday, because the focus is completely on family. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, but Thanksgiving is so much more low key without all the commercial and material noise in the background.

Since I was a Women’s/Gender Studies major in college, I have always been super passionate about feminism. Women and men should have equal opportunities and equal rights. And one of those rights is the right to safety. When I heard my friend Caroline Tocci was trying to raise money for her non-profit, the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation, I knew that I wanted to learn more.

Caroline started the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation in honor of her late cousin. Vanessa was tragically murdered last summer at the age of 27 while out on a walk in Princeton, MA. The Foundation fights for a world where women can feel safe. Its mission statement is the following:

We strive for this goal by partnering with organizations that deliver educational programs to promote female empowerment, challenge and undermine gender stereotypes, and provide mentorship opportunities. We believe these efforts will ultimately help reduce violence against women in our society.

​On June 17, the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation held a 5k run/walk at Mt. Wachusett, where they were able to raise $95, 000! Next up is the Falmouth Road Race on August 20! Vanessa ran the race in 2014 and 21 runners, including Caroline, will be running in her honor this year. I figured this was a great opportunity to sit down with Caroline and learn more about the Foundation.

The Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation was established in the winter of 2017. Although we (Vanessa’s friends and family) knew we wanted to memorialize Vanessa and keep her legacy alive, it took some time for us to decide on the Foundation’s mission. Vanessa loved giving back to the community, so we wanted to make sure we would be establishing a foundation that connected to her passions as well. By February of this year, we were officially a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

A few months after Vanessa died, I started to discuss the idea of starting a foundation with Vanessa’s family and friends. I knew that if this tragedy had happened to me, Vanessa would spread awareness so it wouldn’t happen to anyone else. I felt like I needed to share her story and help others so we could help reduce violence against women in our society. I am the President of the Foundation, but every board member has had a significant part in the Foundation’s establishment.

3) Can you give some examples of the educational programs with which the foundation has partnered?

4) Can you talk a bit about the preparation/work that went into organizing the 5k earlier this summer?

Well, we were very fortunate that Vanessa’s former employers, Google and Vistaprint, as well as local organizations, wanted to help us with the 5k. After securing the venue, it took many hours of reaching out to different businesses and organizations for sponsorships and donations. We hired a race manager to help with race registration and logistics on race day. There was a lot of coordination and planning involved, from food to t-shirts to signage, but everyone on the board helped make the day a success.

5) Have you run the Falmouth Road Race before?

Yes, in 2014 I ran the race with Vanessa on the Dana-Farber team, so this race is very significant to me.

I’m really excited about the future of the Foundation and see big things ahead for us. I see it eventually being a nationwide organization that helps women live bold and fearless lives. We plan to go into the schools to share our story and help young women feel safe by learning self defense and wearing safety tech devices, such as the device Athena, created by our 5k sponsor Roar For Good. We think this device can help save lives. Not only do we want to help promote female safety, but we believe it’s important to educate youth on gender stereotypes to help redefine gender roles in our society. As I said before, the objectification of women is one factor of violence against women and it’s important for us to take part in this bigger societal issue as well so that we can truly make a difference.

Caroline and Vanessa ran the 2014 Falmouth Road Race for Dana-Farber.

Donate to the Falmouth Road Race here! You can also donate to the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation here!

About Me

Thank you so much for visiting me! I am Cara, a mid-twenties native Bostonian. I enjoy reading blogs, social media (like any millennial), volunteering, reading, finding my inner zen in yoga class, listening to TSwift, traveling and socializing.
I had the privilege of interning for some pretty cool fashion designers in New York City, so I started the blog with a stylish intent, but I want it to be more than that. Let's face it; the metamorphosis into adulthood is not easy. I hope to share that journey with Busy as a Bee!